Elena: The Jewel of Olympus
by ElenaPrince55
Summary: As Elena sat in the classroom, the gods decided that they needed to make yet another life interesting. So they visit her and turn her world upside down by giving her the greatest gifts they possessed. A jewel and a gorgeous protector. Will she be able to complete her quest and find Camp-Halfblood? Or will she fail to fulfil her destiny?
1. Prologue

Running, hands clasped together like lifelines, they tried in vain to lose their pursuers through the small winding alleys of the small town. But it was no use, for they were slowly gaining ground. The boy on the left tugged on his companion's arm, motioning and pulling her into the open doorway of the house that they had almost passed. Quickly the girl shut and locked the door, while he scanned the room they had entered for any unwelcome occupants. Panting, the two sat down, leaning against the wall, quietly listening for any signs of life outside.

Sometime later, when they were certain that they had effectively lost their pursuers, having heard large and heavy footsteps pass the door at an unmistakeable fast pace, the girl sighed and leaned against her companion's shoulder.

"They almost had us." She reminisced worriedly.

"But they didn't, and they never will, as long as we stick to the plan." He comforted, believing every word.

"How can you be so sure? At this rate we will never reach the camp alive."

The boy was concerned regarding her negative attitude. It was unlike her to give up without considering every possible solution and outcome. "I believe that together, you and I are unstoppable, and I truly mean that. There is no obstacle that the Jewel cannot overcome. And I will always be there at your side, forever, no matter what."

The girl, deeply touched by his honesty and compassion, gave him a hug, showing that she cared just as much for him.

And, as night fell and the moon rose, they fell asleep peacefully, happy that, at least today, they had outsmarted their enemies.


	2. Chapter 1

Ever had your life change in a split second, and then look back to that moment and wonder how that happened. This was the very thought that I had, as I ran for my life, with only what I was able to hastily pack, following a boy that I hardly knew.

Let me start at the beginning.

I am a sixteen year old average girl, living with my mum. I have no idea who on earth my father is. She tells, every time that I ask, whether it be while she is distracted and I hope to sneak the answer out, or when I ask directly, that he was the man of her dreams, perfect in every way. She explains in great detail the time that they met. It was in the middle of summer, over at the beach. She had gone alone, having recently broken up with her boyfriend, whose name she does not tell me. He was good looking and smart, she explains, but they did not get along well together, being too different in opinion and personality. The weather that day was beautiful; not one cloud in the sky, the water a crystal blue, and the sand felt like velvet under her feet, as she walked up the beach, shoes in hand. After some time, as the sun started to set over the horizon, turning the water an orange shade, she saw a person in the distance, coming the other way. As he came closer, she was able to see more clearly. She tells me nothing of his appearance, and I always see tears forming in her eyes at this part of the tale. I never push her too hard. When he is next to her, he stops, and their eyes meet.

The tale never changes, and mum never gets tired of telling it, just as I never tire from hearing it. He left when I was born, apparently to start a living in the seas. She would often tell me that the water was the only place that he truly belonged, the only place he ever felt comfortable. I do not hate my father for leaving, although I do wish that I could have seen him at least once, to know.

Now I have a new dad, and while he is a lot of fun, he will never replace my true father. His name is Pete, becoming a member of the family when I was five. With him came my step brother, Lucas, and step sister, Katie. Both are younger than me, him fifteen, and her thirteen. They are very much like their father, loving to laugh and have fun, but never responsible.

My mother is one of the best women I have ever met. Even with all of the stress that she had while being a single mum, she never yelled at me once. She is responsible, independent, and caring all at once. I am often told that I am exactly like her. Once, when I accidentally broke her most precious glass vase, she just held me in her arms, and told me that all the objects in the world will never be more important than her Jewel. Jewel is my nickname, one that mum has used ever since I was born, although she would never tell me why.

"You will find out when the time is right, and when the world truly needs you, my Jewel."

I never pushed mum, even when I so desperately wanted to know what on earth she was talking about. She was no fragile, and I never want to give her a reason to break. A life without her would be heartless, and I would not know how to move forward without her guidance. Always the gem, beautiful to look at, but unable to travel on its own without a push. She always brightened up my day when I had an awful day at school, like the sun in the sky.

There is nothing special about me, no matter what mum thinks. I am quite pale, with sea blue eyes, and freckles dotting my cheeks and nose. My hair is a dark brown, with natural blond highlights spread through, due to the many days I spend at the beach. I am quite tall, more than average, and quite skinny, but not lankily so. At School, I only have two good friends, the rest see me as the "nice but quite girl" they share classes with. I am hugely into horses, having loved them since I was little. My sixth birthday present was riding lessons, following a month of begging since mum is allergic and did not want me near one of those "flea ridden kickers". I also love the water. Mum says that I take this passion from my father as he also adored the sea, and anything related. Every morning I would run straight into the waves, splashing and diving before I had to go home, have a shower and get ready for school. Whenever I felt depressed angry, it was my go to place to relax and cool down. It truly fells like it is where I belong.

School itself is also nothing truly amazing. Even though I go to a private school, where the facilities are better, and the teachers are more experienced, the people are just as terrible. All the girls do are gossip about the last couple who split up, and which guy has the hottest eyes, while the guys just make the sickest jokes and try and stuff as much food into their mouth at once that is humanly possible. It is safe to say that out-laughing a hyena is easier than surviving high school. Even with friends to support and protect you, navigating the halls without being hit or called on is still a huge challenge, especially when said halls contain Sandy Hilkins, the richest, snobbiest girl the school and entire world has ever seen. She constantly changed her appearance, trying to be "fresh", and puts others around her down just to feel more beautiful. One week she told me that blond highlights were "totally last year", and that my freckles looked "ghastly, like the chicken pox", telling me to stay away from her so that she doesn't catch the infection. That girl does not have one brain cell in her body.

But on to the life changing events.

That started like any others, I ran to the beach, relaxed, went back home, and walked to school. There, the normal classes occurred, and the students were just as horrible. Sandy had changed her hair again, to platinum blond this time, which I personally thought did not match her skin tone at all. Already I have seen two girls run crying into the bathroom, away from where she was standing. Typical day.

After lunch, we had a large maths test scheduled. I had studied moderately for it, considering the fact that it wasn't too important. Most of the questions I understood easily. I have always had a knack for anything academic, being naturally smart without even trying too hard. While problem solving one of the last few questions, the room suddenly went pitch black, and was filled with pure silence.


	3. Chapter 2

As quickly as the lights turned off, they came back on again. Instead of the neat rows of desks and chairs holding students completing their maths test, there were five women and seven men in front of me. Yes, I counted. No, it's not weird at all. Anyway... The room now looked bare, with the whiteboard being the only piece of furniture left. All of the windows had been closed, with the curtains pulled, so that no one passing could see what was happening. The fact that no one can see, and therefore help, alarmed me quite a bit, and made the situation seem much more terrifying.

Out of all of them, only one stood out to me personally. He was built like an athlete, wearing strange clothing that looked directly imported from Hawaii, the type that are brightly coloured and covered in palm trees. However, it was the face that stuck out the most. His eyes were kind, the same blue as mine, his mouth was stretched into a wide happy smile, one that I could see had existed on his face many times before. There was no denying who this man was.

"Dad"

He matched the stories that mum had told me perfectly. He also looked strikingly similar to me. But it was his scent that confirmed it for me. He smelled exactly like the ocean, the same salty scent that I exhaled at the beach every day. Plus, he was good looking. Don't look at me like that, I mean for a father. Whatever. Believe what you want. It's a free country.

Strangely, he looks exactly as I always pictured him, even though mum never told me his appearance. Perhaps I have some tiny memory from when I was a baby stored in the back of my mind, or my imagination is weirdly accurate, but he always had that smile and those blue eyes that looked like they are pools of the ocean living inside him, like bringing a little piece of it with him everywhere. And right here, right now, I can't help but wish that he had always reserved that look just for me, that no one else got to see it. That he really missed his little girl for all those years. Who knows, maybe. Or maybe I'm just dreaming again.

"Who are you, and what do you want with us?"

Startled, I looked away from my father, trying to locate the voice. It occurred to me that there was a presence on my right, one that I had not yet noticed, being too preoccupied with the strangers in front. It was one of my classmates. With the dark skin and Greek complexion, I knew it was Luke.

Luke has maths with me, as we are both slightly smarter than the average grade 10 student. All I know about him is that his family are immigrants from Greece, even though he is pure blood Aussie, like me. We never communicated out of class with each other willingly, unless working together on an assigned project. He was one of those people who classified me as nice but quiet, as he belongs to the popular group within our school. He's like one of those strangers that you see walking past on the street, the one you notice, but don't really acknowledge or pay attention to. He's just there. Plus, we are very different socially, so any sort of friendship between us has never even been considered.

Yet here he is, standing next to me as we face the strangers, and my father, together.

Ignoring Luke's question, the adults focused all their attention on me, almost drinking me up with their eyes. It's a very nerve-racking experience, when you feel like they are scanning both inside and out, down to the soul. Looking closely at each one by one, I questioned the relationship between them, for each was different from the others.

The man in the middle was wearing a suit, that looked very expensive, much like the one Paul wears every day to work. His expression was set like a stone, as if he always frowns. In fact, I doubted that the man ever smiled. In his left hand he held an object that looked remarkably like a lightning bolt. Every so often it would cackle and crack, almost as if it was made of electricity. I looked away from him as fast as possible. Next to him, on the right, stood my father, still smiling as if there wasn't anywhere else in the world he would be. I returned one that was even bigger, being so happy to see him again. Then came a man who seemed slightly drunk, particularly as he was leaning heavily against a stick, and smelt strongly of wine. Striking me as careless, he had a prominent belly that he did not bother to hide, and a smirk that made him look slightly mad. He reminded me of my grandfather, also a drunk, who would spend the entire holiday sleeping and then telling my mother to pour him another glass, while complaining loudly about her cooking. Wonderful. Didn't spare him another throughout and moved my gaze elsewhere.

The fourth man looked more like a gorilla than a person, due to the large deformities throughout his body. One leg was longer than the other, one of his arms didn't hang properly, and his face looked as if a child had turned it into play-dough and squashed it. Even though his eyes were on me, his hands were preoccupied elsewhere, fiddling with some sort of mechanical invention, making me think that he is an inventor. I gave him a little nod of the head, just to be polite. The fifth I could not even classify as a man, for he looked no older than seventeen. Wearing jeans and a t-shirt, he is the only one I can even begin to classify as normal, although sun glasses inside is an odd fashion statement. In fact, he was almost cute, with the blond hair and tan, however I still have no idea who on earth he is. The look that he was giving me was of pure enjoyment, seeming to find the whole situation amusing and perfectly normal. Strikes me as a bit of a slacker. I smirked at him, portraying to him that I wasn't falling for the charm. The sixth was almost boring looking if not for the large stick thing that was held together by two intertwined snakes. I think it's called a cascades? Eh, my Mythology is not exactly up to scratch. Even so, I get the distinct impression that with him, appearances aren't everything, and that he is far more important than he looks, with his plain shirt, pants and shoes looking ordinary. Your average middle aged man. Moving on... The final man was unlike any other I had ever seen. The only information that I could read from his appearance was that he had some serious anger issues. The clothing and face said it all. He was wearing some serious biker gear, all black, all leather. Talk about pricey. Also, while the young guy's sun glasses looked purely out of place, this man's just made him even more menacing, especially when compared with his pale skin. But his expression freaked me out the most, with his mouth set in a cruel malice, something that I was sure never changed. The aura that he sent out almost had me getting angry. Needless to say, I looked away as quickly as possible, trying not to be intimidated.

Then there were the women. Next to sparky, on the left, stood the first as proud and tall as is possible. Looking at the way her and sparky stood, all regal, made me think that these were the two in charge of the group. The analytical way that she stared me down made me feel small and powerless, a feeling I do not like to possess. Needless to say she was not immediately written as part of my list of favourite people. However, there was nothing special about her appearance. All she wore was a loose fitting white dress draped around her body, and a pair of sandals. I would have thought at least a piece of jewellery, as something to distinguish her from the others. The hierarchy here seemed a little muddled to me. Hoping that I hadn't given away my feeling of fear without realising, I moved my gaze further on as fast as is possible without attracting unwanted attention. The second woman struck me immediately as an environmentalist due to what she was wearing: a garb that looked suspiciously like she had made it herself using plants and flowers. With her kind expression and child friendly attire, I thought of her as the mother of the group, looking after the others. I tried to return the smile, but only managed a grimace, as I was too busy worrying about what the group had in store. When I looked to the next woman on the left, I was left feeling inherently smarter than before. She simply radiated wisdom, as if she was the teacher and I her student. It is impossible to be in her presence and not feel like you learned something valuable. She is definitely the brains of the group. This feeling then became greatly enhanced when I took in her appearance, with her black hair, fair skin, intelligent but kind eyes, and full mouth. It is almost as if she knows exactly how to look, how to make herself seem beautiful and wise at the same time. To her I also gave a respectable nod of the head, as that is the polite motion to do given the circumstances.

As with Mr. Cool, the fourth was more of a girl than a woman, being even younger than I am. Her appearance screamed nocturnal, as if she sleeps throughout the day and is active only at night. Out of the entire group, she was the only one was carrying an actual weapon, a silver set of arrows attached to a beautiful bow. Had she of been any older, I would have thought that she was a professional hunter. This ideology seemed even more realistic when I realised she was wearing a white fur coat. Also, the way that she eyed all the males in the room with distain, I could tell that she was a hard-core feminist. Odd interests for a girl that young, in my opinion. Her I gave a slight smile, scared that she might hunt me if I didn't even acknowledge her. The last member of the group was by far the most gorgeous woman I have ever seen in my life, for she was completely flawless. I immediately worried that she was mentally giving me a makeover. I am perfectly happy with my how I look, and so not need some barbie doll giving me fashion advice. Even now I could not tell you the exact colour of her hair, or the size of her mouth, because it is impossible to remember. For some reason, I kept thinking that appearance kept changing, becoming slowly more and more beautiful, although that is not physically possible. I guess it could be. Any things possible.

Sparky, dad, the mechanic, the drunkard, Mr. Cool, the normal one, rage man, the leader, the environmentalist, the brains, the hunter and the barbie doll. Not your average gang. But you never know.

Undeterred by the group's lack of attention towards him, Luke pushed harder for information. "Why us? We want answers!"

Worried that the group would resort to violence following Luke's harsh attempt at answers, I tried to calm everyone at once. "Hush, Luke. Let them speak."

It seemed to work, for Luke became quiet.

It was sparky who spoke. "Elena, daughter of Poseidon. Luke, son of Apollo. Finally we meet."


	4. Chapter 3

Okay, this man is totally bonkers. That, or he is making the worst joke in history. There is no way that I can be the child of a GOD! Unless...

Unless my father really is Poseidon.

"Are... are you really the god of the sea?" I ask, hoping he will tell me that of course he isn't, and that his mum had spent too much time on the water when naming him, or that they are all nicknamed based on their personalities and passions.

Is that too much to ask? For a bit of sanity in this very not sane situation? Something that can actually be described as normal?

"Indeed my child, I am. The very same as in that book you keep in your bedroom." Father tells me, and I blush at the kind teasing towards the mythology book. Okay, so maybe I do know a slight bit. Hey, I find it fascinating, especially the fact that the Greeks, unlike any other race, made their gods out as flawed. It makes them feel more human, and more realistic towards beings with that much power. Also, I may or may not have been trying to learn about a certain Greek classmate. No comment towards the truth of that statement.

Even with knowing that it is impossible, I can't help but believe him. In a way it makes sense. It would certainly help explain some unusual memories that I have. When I was six, mum took me on my first boat. It wasn't anything classy, just a small row boat, but I loved every minute of it. I would even rock the boat, trying to replicate the waves of the ocean. That was the first time I knew that I truly belonged on the water. When we went under the first bridge, I could swear that I saw transparent faces of women in the water, waving at me. When I told mum, she didn't believe me, telling me it was just my mind playing tricks. Then, when I was eleven, I fell into a swimming pool by accident. However, as I was watching the frantic feet above me moving, distorted through the water, I felt as alive as I could possibly feel. Minutes passed without me running out of breath, until I was hoisted up from the water by a lifeguard. My mum gave me the most serious scolding that day about being more careful. But water that day had felt truly like the best thing in the world.

Then there were the nightmares. When I was younger, I would dream about monsters of all shapes and sizes coming after me. Each time I cut one down and it turned instantly into dust (never got that part) another would follow, each bigger and scarier than the last. I would always wake myself up screaming, and would see mum on top of me, hushing me and telling me it was all just a dream. But it always felt so real, and it still does now, whenever I remember.

But, regardless of how much sense it was making, I was still having issues with the whole daughter of a god thing...

And apparently so was Luke, who was recovering from the shock of Sparky's statement.

"Oh, that it complete and utter bull..." I instantly covered his mouth, fearing their response to such rudeness from their 'children', and instantly covered up.

"What Luke means to say is that we are having a difficult time processing all of this." All of this said while digging my elbows into Luke, hoping he will get the message.

Letting Luke go, but not after a strong glare from my part, I am happy to say that he did not speak again for the duration of the conversation, which I am still immensely proud of.

To my utter surprise, and immediate distaste, Rage Man was the one to answer. "What is there not to get? Daughter of a god. Demigod. Honestly, my children were never as wussy as these two puny..."

"Ares, be quiet. Not everyone has the kind of pain tolerance your children seen to endlessly possess." The Hunter immediately stopped Rage Man's, who I now know as Ares's, rant in a polite but scolding manner. She slightly reminded me of my mother, who has the same kind of fire in her, even if the Hunter looks even older than me. I began to wonder if I would ever see my mum again, which immediately depressed me so I told my subconscious to be quiet while I focused instead on my Greek companion.

When I looked at Luke, I happened to see a large amount of respect on his face, which was directed at Ares, and I scoffed and ignored him as well. However. I was glad he was finally getting along with these 'gods'.

"Whether you have accepted your true parentage or not, it is time for us now to get to the point of our meeting. We very rarely claim our children in person, and certainly not all of us at once. But this particular occasion calls for it," Sparky told us in a manner that showed me that he was running this show.

I must admit, at this point I was seriously worried that I had done something wrong, that was against their godly laws or something. I mean, I am a good girl. I had never smoked, or done drugs, or killed anyone. Well. There was that time I slapped Katherine Steward in grade 5, as she had taken my chocolate away from me and had eaten it in front of me, and I had lashed out in furious hunger and revenge. But nothing serious.

One look at Luke told me that he was thinking on the exact lines: we are in deep trouble.

"No, in these circumstances we were all willing to be here in person," Sparky said as he continued his what seemed a well-rehearsed speech. Really, they know we are only sixteen, right? "We have come to give to you what has been your birthright since the very beginning, chosen one." Based on the fact that Sparky was looking at me when he said this hints to the fact that I am the chosen one. I had still not made up my mind as to the reason for me being called this, if it was good or bad for me. "So here it is. You my dear, through your charm, utter perfection and outlook on life, are now to be blessed by all of us, as was decreed since your birth to happen after you reached the age of maturity, sixteen."

Wait, what?


	5. Chapter 4

Me, full of charm, perfection, a good outlook on life? The person who once walked into a pole while being absorbed in a book, as I didn't look where I was going? No, they must have the wrong person.

Cautiously, I asked. "Are you sure you have the correct person?"

To which they all replied simultaneously, "Of course!"

To say I was in shock about the whole things would be a colossal understatement. Only about an hour ago I was just one of your run-of-the-mill school girls whose only traces was her ability to seamlessly blend into the background. How I have been told that I was not only a daughter of Poseidon, but also the chosen child to be blessed by every single Greek god.

Yes, it had indeed occurred to me that this was all some elaborate dream, but honestly, that would be wayyyyy to cheesy to be the truth. No, I was quite sure that this was actually happening, especially since Sparky's lightning bolt in his hands was growing and sparking without being plugged into anything. Yea, this was about the point that I realised this was actually happening.

Which meant that I was a step ahead of the gobsmacked son of Apollo whose head has just dropped to the floor. Honestly, get a grip man! Did you not think that gods would ever come and claim you? Thought not.

But I still don't get what the gods really see in me.

What happened then was so amazing it is impossible to describe in words but I will try. Imagine that you have travelled to the sun, not burned up but yet still felt the heat and the raw power of the ball of fire in front of you. Yep, that sums it up. For the gods had literally gone super nova, and I was literally blasted with power and energy so vast that I felt like sunglasses would not have even made a dent. They probably would have just been blown up and melted onto my face.

How did I survive? At the time I really did not know, especially that what actually was happening (as I have now figured out) was that I was being blessed by all the Greek gods all at the same time, which I can tell you really gave me a headache. Now, you might be wondering what on earth I am going on about. And no, it was nothing like a baptism, where water is involved and the baby just gets very wet while some religious dude says a few words. This particular blessing involved the gods actually transferring their powers and abilities to me, which was pretty awesome, although I still have no idea if I would have survived it.

Yes, I lived. And this was due to a particular stone that I was wearing around my neck at the time.

When I was born, my father gave me one gift: a gorgeous and expensive necklace. On it hung a jewel, a large, flat circular emerald. According to my mum, he had told her that I should never take it off, as it was a 'part' of me. In memory of my father I had done just that. I wore it everywhere, even to school (which, let me tell you, required a note from the principle which gave me 'permission' to wear it under my school uniform). Nowadays I don't even realise it is there, it does truly feel like a part of me. However, what I did not know from the first sixteen years of my life was what the stone actually was.

It is the source.

Forged back when Gaia ruled the land, the stone has the ability to hold power of the gods, any at all, for as long as those powers respond to the wearer. He or she must have worn the jewel since birth, and never taken it off, up until the age of sixteen, when the emerald is therefore ready for use whenever the wearer desires.

It is my source.

Thanks to the emerald jewel, I survived the gods blessing, which I can tell you was painful even with the jewel on. After the process, and the revival of Luke (who I now know was actually knocked out in purpose to SURVIVE!) the gods moved on to the gift.

The present consisted of two different elements. The first was a ring that would transform into any weapon, and a bracelet that turned into a shield. After reading about the Greek monsters, I knew how important these gifts truly were. The second I did not get. Zeus brought out two necklaces, and a piece that he attached to the jewel. All three were symbols, and looked Egyptian. I really did not understand, but Zeus told me I would be able to use it someday. The other two were for Luke and...


	6. Chapter 5

My brother. According to my dad there is another child of Poseidon living in America. One year older than me, his name is Percy. That was big news in my opinion. But it is nice to know that I was not alone.

While the gods were giving me the gifts, Apollo and Luke were having a very deep and meaningful discussion. About what I had never asked, but I knew that to Luke it was better than any present. The joy on his face was incomparable.

After the presents had been given and Luke's conversation done, he turned to me. It was then that I knew that my appearance had been altered. I could literally see the wonder in his eyes. To see for myself, I asked for a mirror and checked myself out in it.

Wow...

Aphrodite had changed my outfit to a cute top and low cut jeans. But that wasn't it. I was gorgeous! More gorgeous even than Aphrodite (don't tell her I said that), or those vampires in Twilight. And yet I was fierce, smart, strong and oddly glowing. Yes, I was glowing white. That was pretty cool. My hair was the same colour as dads, my eyes an ever changing sea of blue, my lips were plump and red. Then I realised my aura would change depending on which gods powers I used. Blue for Dad. Red for Ares. Purple for Dionysus, etc. It was absolutely and awesomely amazing!

And I could tell from Luke's face that he thought so as well.

He hadn't been left defensiveness either. Hanging on his back was the mother of all bows, beautiful yet strong. Around his shoulder was a quiver filled with arrows. He had a bracelet on his left wrist that I was soon to learn held whatever instrument he desired. And he also had an Aura, Orange like the sun. Basically, he looked like his father.

Wow.

I gave him his necklace with the Egyptian symbol on it, and told him to never take it off. He listened.

Zeus once again spoke. "Elena. Now that you have been blessed by all of us, you have now officially become our daughter. Congratulations."

Zeus, returning to his proper position as speech, went on. "Kneel" I did as he said. "Your title shall now and forever more be Elena: Daughter of Poseidon, Blessed of all Greek Gods, the Jewel of the Nile. Rise." I rose. He then turned to Luke. "Kneel." Luke knelt. "From now unto her death you shall become her faithful guardian, watching her back and keeping her from any harm. Rise Luke: Son of Apollo, Guardian of the Jewel." He rose. "You both shall now travel to America, to Long Island, home of your brother Percy and safe-haven of demigods."

And with that, and a short goodbye, they vanished.

My name is Elena. I am a daughter of Poseidon. I was blessed by all the Greek gods. I wear the jewel. Therefore, I now official hold the power of all the Greeks gods, and glow white, which in my mind is pretty sick. Who else can say that their maths class was as awesome as mine!


	7. Chapter 6

Well that was the most full-on experience if my life. I swear, if Luke wasn't standing next to me glowing red and decked as if doing archery, then I'd think it was all a dream. As it was, we looked at each other and simultaneously asked the question,

"What are we going to do now?"

Having been blessed by Athena, it didn't take long for my smart brain to realise that we should probably leave the school before the class magically comes back. Luke agreed with me wholeheartedly, not really wanting to be seen by his mates as a glowing red man with a bow and arrow. So went past our lockers, grabbed all of our stuff and left campus. At first it was silence. But then Luke eventually had to ask the question, "So, your house first?"

In truth, I both really wanted to go home, and I really did not. After all of the weirdness we just witnessed, I wanted to visit the place that I know will be the way I left it: normal. But, at the same time, it would mean facing the fact that I may never return and see my mum. And that is seriously painful. Also, I did not want to see Pete right now.

Luke must have seen the conflict on my face, for he then suggested, "Or would you prefer mine?"

I looked at him in relief, but realised that he must feel the same. "Are you sure?"

He smiled, but I could see the pain under the mask. "Yea, totally." He would miss his family just as much as I would miss mine.

Having decided on a destination, we boarded the bus, sitting next to each other, silent, with Luke on the aisle. He was seriously taking his role as protector seriously. Honestly, as much as I felt thankful for a protector, I truly needed a companion more. Someone who understood what was going on through my mind: the joy, the shock, but most of all the pain and sadness of leaving our normal lives. I have never been one for surprises. Unfortunately, our life basically on the run will be full of it.

To be honest, I would never have pegged Luke as a son of Apollo. As I mentioned before, we have never really conversed. But I knew from the guy was that he was hugely popular, and had a knack for getting people to like him. He was one of those people who are able to get along with everyone. I have always respected him for that

Okay, more than respected. You could say that I have had a little crush on the guy for a while now. There have even been times where, on assignments, I was given the chance to get to know the guy a little bit. The amount he made me laugh… Knowing that he was a cool but also caring guy made me like him that much more, and made me cross my fingers every time assignments were given, hoping that we will be partnered together. However, none of it meant more to me than the fact that we really got along.

Of course, that was before the whole jewel-demigod thing. Now I have no idea what will become of us: whether we will become a couple, a couple of friends, or perhaps even acquaintances. At this very point of time, with events being as they are, it would probably be better to just be friends…

While in the middle of my brooding I was harshly elbowed in the ribs. Startled, I turned towards my attacker, who was looking at me with a guilty expression on his face. "We're here," he stated, still slightly embarrassed at what he had just did.

I looked out, noticing the bus had stopped, and a slightly annoyed bus driver was staring at me a way that said, "Get off my god damn bus!"

I obeyed, high-tailing it out of there as quickly as Luke would allow me to (he was beginning to take his role as protector to a new level that includes the word 'annoying'). Once out he walked me to his house, which I could say was… pretty ordinary.

Being an only child raised by a single mum, Luke's family did not need a large house. In my opinion, it was cute and cottagey but on the small side. The backyard, on the other side, was about the size of the whole house, well-tended to and beautiful. Luke's mother must love gardening! Going inside did little to change my opinion. Two bedrooms, one bathroom, the world's tiniest kitchen and a living room that contained a television from the 80s. That's about it. Although in truth I cannot judge, with the world being so expensive that this is most likely the best the two of them could do. So, out of respect, I said nothing.

The first thing Luke did was make a beeline for his bedroom, closing the door on me. Rude! To entertain myself I opened one of the cupboards, and was greeted by the sight of donuts. Those I immediately demolished. Then, feeling bad for Luke, I cooked us something for Lunch, all the while whistling and listening to the loud bangs that came from his room from time to time.

I know what you're thinking. Why didn't I just use my awesome, incredible powers? The truth was I was scared. I was never ever responsible for anything. Now I have the power of the gods resting on my shoulders. I didn't want to do anything to break the trust I was given. I also had no idea how to. So, for the time being, I was going to do things the hard way.

After a while, I got sick of watching the food slowly brown in the oven, so I decided to go and help Luke with his packing. Which in hindsight wasn't my smartest idea. For when I opened the door I was greeted to a mess of a room, a horrible guy smell, and a very naked Luke who had just come out of the shower after a hard day's packing.

"Eeeekkkk…" I immediately shut the door on him, and frantically paced through the living room. Why the hell didn't I knock? Great, a few hours as the new me and already screwed up the packing. What's next, the food?

The food!

When I entered the kitchen I greeted by a large amount of smoke. Trying to fix the problem, I opened the oven. My second mistake of the day. As soon as it opened the room became black, my breathing was becoming non-existent and the fire alarm went off. I immediately banged on Luke's door, shouting at him to hurry it up, and ran out of the house. A few minutes later, Luke showed up, his hair still damp from the shower, and we both ran as far away from the neighbourhood as we could.


	8. Chapter 7

Supremely embarrassed as to my obvious lack of cooking skills, and my accidental view of Luke naked, we walked for the first couple of minutes in silence. Luckily, Luke was able to grab a few things before making his escape from the house, including clothing and a bottle of water. However, he had managed to just shove them all in his backpack, which was an immediate beacon towards the fact that technically we were skipping school.

We could not stay silent for long though. While we had decided earlier that the next destination was my house, getting there was another issue. I was well aware that the school day had just ended. It was hence unwise to take the bus again, as we may be spotted by someone who knew us. The train was out as well. I decided to break the silence, and get his opinion on the matter. "Um… So how did you propose we get to my house?"

He sighed, and to this day I am not sure if it was because of the question or just me in general. Hoping it was the former. "We will have to walk, unless you have no problems with hitchhiking?" he said, without looking at me.

I knew I had to apologise about the events earlier, if we were to have any sort of good connection with one another. "Look, about earlier, I am truly sorry about not knocking. If I had known…"

He interrupted, "It's not that. It's…" He sighed, and I knew that I had done something that really bugged him. He looked down on the floor and told me, "…it's the house. Now my mother is going to come home and find all that mess and smoke that we left behind, and _she_ will have to deal with it. She is a great person, Elena, but she works so hard, and I didn't want to leave anymore behind. Especially since I will now be gone."

Now that I understood, I smiled and comforted him. "She is a strong woman Luke, and she has a very caring son. She can deal with it. And, when we make it to Camp Half-blood, I will make sure that you can see her again. Besides, she knows where we are going. I may or may not have left her a note, telling her why you won't come home anytime soon, but that you love her and will miss her." I did indeed write that note while being supremely bored, knowing that he would probably forget himself.

Luke smiled brightly at me, and gave me a hug, silently communicating to me how much it all means to him. I returned the hug, overjoyed that he forgave me, and that my crush was hugging me. However, my stupid brain was soon starting to imagine certain scenarios that could be occurring, making me blush in embarrassment. Thanks Aphrodite! (Not)

We soon broke it off, and continued to walk in the direction of our house, our spirits lifted. However, when I noticed a pass-byer look at us strangely, I noticed an immediate problem that in truth the two of us had even forgotten to consider.

We were glowing.

My white aura and Luke's red one were unnatural to say the least. In fact, it was a beacon that singled us out as the unhuman variety. On the bus we were lucky: the amount of sunlight and phone light that was inside made our glows seem far more natural. However, out here on the road we had no protection and no cover. I knew we had to get away from the public eye as soon as possible, so I dragged a surprised Luke into cover. Luckily, we were walking right next to a small park. We hid in the trees as best we could.

"What was that for?" asked Luke, out of breath after completing a sprint he didn't know he was participating in. I immediately shushed him, as he was speaking in a voice that was too loud for hiding.

"We glow, remember? We have to find a way to get rid of it, or at least dim it, before somebody gets a little too curious." I shuddered, not liking where my imagination was taking me. Luke's eyes widened as he too realised the issues that this fact may present to us.

"Oh, crap. How did we not think of this before?" He looked at me, and I looked back, trying to hold back my imagination of what could happen under the cover to trees. Oh, Aphrodite, I don't know if what you gave me was a blessing or a curse. I still haven't decided.

Thankfully, I had also been blessed by Athena, and that meant that my problem solving skills had increased. That would have been nice to have in all of those maths tests, but no matter now that I don't have to take them anymore. Score!

This superbly intelligent mind suddenly clicked something in place, and out of my own control I grabbed for the jewel. As soon as I touched it, I told it to do something in Ancient Greek. I do not remember what I said, but I know that it meant "Take away aura". The jewel glowed green for about a second, and then our aura's were gone, and I was back in control of my own body.

Luke, gobsmacked at what had just occurred, asked, "How did you do that!"

I, on the other hand, was supremely worried at the lack of control I had during these proceedings. "I don't know. Must have something to do with the blessings." I smiled weakly, hoping I had convinced him that I was fine, but he saw right through me. I could tell by his look. However, he chose not to mention it, which I was hugely thankful for.

Now that we looked normal, or at least as normal as everyone else, we once again set out on our trip towards my house. We had resigned ourselves to walking, and did indeed for the next five minutes, until I noticed two broken bikes that were left on the grass outside the owner's house. These bikes were in a horrible condition: the first bike was in two separate pieces, and the second one had a missing chain and a bent tire. Luke didn't give them a second glance, but my repair blessings went into overdrive, calculating what I needed to do and what tools I needed to have. Telling Luke to wait, I got to work.

To weld the two pieces of bike together, I willed flames to come out of my hands. While I freaked out about being on fire internally, externally I was calm, and melted the metal just enough to attach the two pieces together. With the first bike fixed, I focused my attention on the second. To fix the tire I removed my all-purpose-weapon ring off my finger and willed it to become a massive battering club, like the ones you see ogres use on TV. The only difference was that mine was metal, and the spikes were diamonds. Although I looked at it admiringly from a beauty perspective, my mechanical mind saw it as the strongest tool that existed, and used it to wack the tire back into the proper shape. Satisfied, I moved onto the chain. To create one, I tore up pieces of grass and linked them together in a chain shape. Once it was the proper length, I used the power of the jewel to turn the grass into metal, focusing and giving it the simple command in Ancient Greek, "transform". I then proceeded to thread it through the tire and attach it to the two wheels. After having completed the job, I looked at my audience, hoping to get the deserved recognition.

What I saw made me stop dead in my tracks. In those few seconds of holding gazes I saw myself in that exact moment. Crazed. A psychotic look in my eyes. An aura of fire surrounding me, my eyes that held flames. I looked like what I had always pictures as the devil: wreathed in flame with a dangerous and unhinged quality about it. A monster.

With a cry I took back control, averting my eyes from Luke's and the monster that I knew I would see in them. I knew that I was immensely close to freaking out, to losing all control. It was just too much. However, the thought of seeing my house again kept me at bay. Not even looking at Luke, as I knew he would now be afraid of me, I picked up the nearest bike and began to ride, knowing that Luke was right behind me, hearing his pedals move. And I did not stop once to rest, knowing what thoughts would crop up if I did.

At the time I did not know what Luke thought. But I do now. After seeing the power that I held, and the way I reacted, he was concerned that I would do something stupid. And he was not wrong. But he also felt a closer bond to me: he knew my deepest and darkest issues that I was experiencing, and he was determined to help. After all, he reasoned, she really is the most beautiful and powerful woman he had ever met. And he would follow me anywhere. Because he knew what I needed, to become what I was born to be. The gods had told him in his dreams every night, even if he was too small to understand why.

'She needed to learn control. And she needed to learn it fast.'


	9. Chapter 8

We made it to my house in record time, having rode in pure silence. I had managed my goal of not thinking about my powers extremely well, and was in a slightly better mood than before. I had even begun to face Luke again.

Have you ever heard that saying, 'Home is where the heart is'? Well for me that is one hundred percent true. At school I did have my good friends Rachael and Caitlin, but we were never close enough for me to consider them truly family. Same with the gods, who I have just had the pleasure to meet and hence do not know well enough to care for them as family. Indeed, the only person in this world that I truly cared about was my mum. My sweet, amazing mum who has sacrificed so much for me, who had always truly cared about how I felt, who had asked "How was your day?" to me when I came home from school. Knowing that my house was the only place that housed someone who I loved and who loved me back made it, in a sense, my safe haven, even if it also included my step-siblings and my step-father. They could not remove all the good memories that I have of that place.

So it made complete sense that in this time of mental and control struggle my first response was to go to my safe-haven and tell the one person who would listen. However, in hindsight, going home was the worst decision that I had ever made. As soon as I walked up the driveway, I knew something was wrong.

The lights were off.

My step-father is completely and utterly afraid of the dark, a fear that originated from a particularly horrible prank that was pulled on him involving pure darkness and a manikin wielding an axe. Now he does not allow the house lights to be switched off, even if the sun was shining as bright as can be. Ironically enough, he also does not like surprises. The irony lies in the surprise that I felt when mum suddenly announced that the two were engaged. That just figures.

I was hopelessly afraid of going inside. Call me a coward, but how would you feel if you knew your family may be in trouble? If you could not help but imagine all the different scenarios that had occurred, and what may be waiting for you as soon as you enter? Thought so.

However, I was saved from my own fear by a certain war god's blessing, which allowed me to unconsciously take my wring off, transform it into a spear of dangerous proportions and walk right in the door, my eyes bottomless pits of hate and my body aglow in the colour of blood. In fact, I felt bloodthirsty. So hungry to kill something, to have victory. These thoughts scared me more than any of the blessing that had shown themselves to me before, because it showed me my extent of hatred that I had not only to any strangers who had entered unannounced, but also my anger towards my step-dad for not caring about me. Towards my step-siblings who have never known hurt or pain. Towards Luke for never bothering to get to know me, as well as the entire student body. Towards the gods for keeping my destiny a secret for so long. Towards my dad for never having the decency to show himself. Towards my step-mum for never telling me what she knew. But most of all towards myself, for being an absolute failure as a friend, a daughter and a powerful metahuman. And that thought scared me most of all, knowing that if I was never able to control my abilities, then they would control me and cause me to do things that I would never ever do. Like harm someone without having reason, causing them pain that they will carry for the rest of my lives.

Needless to say I was very shaken when I entered the house. And what I saw did nothing to console me.

The house was an absolute mess. Broken glass covered the floor, the table had obviously been thrown by the looks of things and the carpet had been ripped up. But it was the blood that got to me more than anything. The house being a mess could be reasoned as a massive temper tantrum where the lights were broken due to items being flung in all different directions. But, as my smart brain told me incessantly that the blood was a sign of a fight between at least two opposing forces, where one had become injured in the proceedings. Which meant that one of my family members could be in serious danger. Without any hesitation I followed the trail of blood down the hallway and into the kitchen, where I was met with a sight that I still wish I would desperately unsee. For there was my stepfather surrounded by what I can only describe as really large hairy humanoid monsters. I am pretty sure they are Laistrygonian Giants, for they look like the illustration in the mythology books I used to read, which makes me wonder if they were written by half-bloods. However, from what I knew about them was that they were cannibals, which may explain why they are staring at my father in a way that says 'Oh you look so delicious' while drooling. Or they had smelt the rabbit that made its home in our garden without an invitation, to which I say go ahead. Though I am pretty sure it was the first one.

Seeing the carnage and the monsters my Ares blessing went into full attack mode. Using the element of surprise, I quickly and efficiently thrust my spear into the closest Laistrygonian, piercing it through the chest and turning it into a pile of dust before it could even cry out. Luckily, the rest of the Laistrygonians were too invested in their soon-to-be meal to give me a second thought. Which made it so much easier to kill them as well, I marvelled as my body speared one after the other with such grace and agility you could almost mistake this for a dance. The death dance. After they were all gone I knelt down and checked my step-father for a pulse. One, two, three minutes passed as I refused to see the truth, refused to believe that he was really gone. Four, five, six passed. Even Luke taking me into his arms did nothing to change my frantic hope, even as my brain accepted the inevitable.

Luke knew that I would just hurt myself going on like this. Gently he told me, "There was nothing you could have done to save him."

No, no, no, no. The only thoughts going through my brain, and I answered Luke, "No, he can't be. He can't be…" I could not even say the word.

At this point what I am sure you are expecting is that I will become aggressive, fighting Luke as I denied reason and refusing to leave my step-fathers side. Then I would calm down and things would go back to normal. That's how death is often dealt with in books. But I did not do this for three important reasons.

One: He was my step-father. I have made my distaste for this childish, replacement-of-a-man clear. So I did not care for him in a way that could create that amount of denial.

Two: There was no way that things could ever go back to normal. I am the jewel for goodness sakes!

Three: My blessing by Hades made sure that that was not that case.

Having been blessed by the god who deals with the dead, I knew that I could send his soul into the underworld with my guarantee of how great a man he was. So I did. However, this blessing was different in the fact that I actually had control of my actions. I decided that I would not say much, and ended up simply whispering "May good fortune hold your soul forever" in Ancient Greek. Having given the man my favour I proceeded to send the soul down into the earth, past the River Styx and towards the judges, while at the same time I pushed the body into the ground as a sign of respect. Talk about multi-tasking. According to Luke I was wreathed in black light with dark hair and more unnerving facial features, while my eyes had taken on the qualities of precious jems: beautiful, but hard and soulless. It pretty much unnerved him.

Yet I was proud that I was able to show respect to the man who had indeed allowed me into his home, and family, no matter how much I may have hated him. As went to my room and packed the essentials into a small backpack, I began to wonder and even to accept the large amount of power and responsibility that I was given, thinking that perhaps I can deal with it after all. I mean, this had to be a good start to gaining control, right?

Wrong.


	10. Chapter 9

Having finished packing my bag, I told Luke to go on ahead, wanting to say a final goodbye to my home. After he left I walked through each room, remembering all of the great memories that my mother and I had made in these walls. They almost made me want to cry, but I kept all of my feelings hidden from view as I slowly made my way to the front door, aching to both leave and stay.

I cannot tell you which one would have won in the end: whether I would have stayed or left.

In the end I did not make the decision.

As I turned into the front hallway that would bring me to the front door, I stopped short. For in front of me was an eight-headed hydra busy eating out of some kind of donut box labelled "Monster Donuts". I have to admit that the irony of the situation (I had always thought of donut makers as monsters as they tempted me and made me fat) completely went over my head. I am honestly surprised that I still remember the fact that he was eating donuts at all, as I was too busy running out of the back door to pay much attention.

To say I was afraid would be a colossal understatement. I was terrified.

Yes, I know I am super powerful and why couldn't I just kill it blah blah blah. Firstly, I have not mastered how to properly control any of them, making me scared of using them. Completely rational response. Secondly, this was the second monster I had ever seen, meaning that I did not have the experience or resolve to fight, opting with flight instead. Again rational. Finally, two parts of my brain screamed at me to not harm the creature as it is natural, even if it looks super ugly. I have Artemis and Demeter to thank for that: one appreciated the bad ass nature of 'animals' and the other worried what the absence of animals would mean for wheat. Obviously I do not have enough control to get my brain to distinguish between monsters and animals. Completely and utterly irrational, but it wasn't exactly my greatest concern at the time.

I may have gotten away from the hydra without it noticing me if I had not tripped on the garden hose and cursed in the loudest voice I could muster. For the first few seconds I thought that I had the best luck the fates could ever bestow on a human. But reality hit when I saw it crash through the front door and turn towards me.

Thus began the chase.

Yelling at Luke to "Run!" I made a beeline for the garage, climbing into the driver's seat in my step-father's Corolla that he only uses when my mother is away. I managed to find the spare key that he keeps in the glove-box (he was very very good at losing keys, though I was sometimes guilty) and turned the car on. As soon as Luke clambered clumsily into the back seat I drove off as fast as the car could go, yet with the hydra still in pursuit.

When I was ten we went on holidays in the outback. While there my step-father decided that Lucas, Katie and I needed to learn how to drive just in case it was necessary. Each of us had a turn in the driving. We started with steering the wheel while sitting on his lap. Then, as we got better he allowed us to use the pedals and change gears. At the time I was just really happy that I was doing something naughty, and that Paul was paying attention to me. But now I see that the 'lessons' were actually super helpful. Wouldn't you know.

Using those skills, I managed to get away from the house and on to a freeway. Here I was able to drive faster, yet not fast enough to lose the monster. He continued to run, and I was starting to wonder if he was given an upgrade. No mythology book that I had ever read mentioned hydras being as fast as cars. Although cars did not exist back then, so that makes the books rather mute.

Even the presence of other cars did not deter the hydra, which I admit I was kind of counting on. I drove as fast as possible, dodging other cars as I pushed the limits of speed that the car could reach, even using my Hephaestus skills to do a few car modifications. Which I can tell you was not easy, especially while driving.

Luke was not idle either. While I was driving and trying to outrun the overgrown freak he was chucking items at it. Which involved my step-father's precious watch, and my mother's expensive perfume (she did not want to leave it in the house where Lucas or Katie could get to it). But it was not long before he ran out of stuff. Which was when I had a brainwave.

My step-brother had a X-Box. Sometimes, when he was bored and in a nice enough mood he allowed me to play as well. Which meant that I knew quite a bit about guns and killing people. It was this that I was thinking about as I took off my weapon ring and willed it to become a machine gun, giving it to Luke without a second glance.

Luke looked at me with wide eyes as the weapon sank in, then he grinned. "Awesome." He proceeded to fire the gun at the hydra, yelping with glee. I was a bit worried about what I had started. But it was working. I could see in the rear mirror that the monster's heads were coming off, and I was happy.

At least until two more grew back.

Enraged at the bad fortune, and furious at myself for forgetting that fact, I began to heat up. I could not see anything through the red haze that covered my eyes as I stopped the car, got out and proceeded to walk up towards the hydra. When I was close enough I stuck my hands up and grabbed one of the heads. It was around that time that I realised that I was not exactly in control of my actions and that I was on fire.

Literally. On. Fire.

Screaming internally, my hands burnt each of the heads to stumps, and then destroyed the body. But I was so anguished that I did not even realise. When Luke, who had gotten out of the car to see me destroying the hydra, could not even touch me, I scrunched into a ball and began to cry.

Can you blame me? The entire day I have been controlled by one blessing to another without any say in the actions. I had effectively lost control. Holding on to the last shreds of sanity that I possessed I stood up, checked my hands to see if they were on fire (they weren't) and then proceeded to get into the car. As soon as Luke was in I began to drive, not hearing or thinking of anything but going forward.

Call me stupid, but I was determined to ignore human contact or focus on feelings for the rest of the trip. It was all just becoming too much, and I could not handle it. So we drove in silence.

Luke had noticed that I was not my cheerful chirpy self. Although he did not know it, he suspected that I had snapped under the pressure of the power that I was given. He could also feel the pain and sadness that was coursing through me.

Although I did not know it, Luke had been told earlier that day how to use the Egyptian necklaces. That, if you knew the right words, you could access the feelings of the other people wearing them. Having had said them as I was inside my house, he felt my slow decent into madness as I lost control. But he had not given up. He knew that he could still save me. He was just waiting for the right moment.

So the car drove on through the afternoon, with my mind completely focused while Luke's mind wandered, as he tried to figure out how to fix things.

He would also later tell me that he thought that my vulnerability made me look more human, and that he was begin to feel attraction. Which neither of us could deny.

We were goners.


	11. Chapter 10

I can tell you right now that time does not heal all wounds. It is so much better to talk to someone about it, preferably someone who you are close to.

After a couple of hours of driving I was feeling no more in control. Now and again my mind would wander. After all, humans, even demigods, cannot concentrate for long. Especially demigods, due to our battle reflexes. So I could not help but reflect on my control issues now and again, which would make me more and more upset.

My fatigue was not helping matters.

When I got to the stage where my reflections meant that my driving became dangerous, Luke quietly suggested that we should find a hotel. I could tell that he had absolutely no idea what to do about my overly-emotional state. I could also sense that he had not spoken while we drove because he did not want to give me an excuse to take out my frustrations on him. He honestly has watched too many dramatic television shows that have messed with his perceptions of women.

The thoughts of what I was doing to Luke made me even sadder. Cue the tears.

Luke had no idea what to do. He had been told by the gods that he had the ability to comfort me. He could feel the pain through the Egyptian necklace. But he failed to see how he could help. Later he told me that throughout the entire car ride he was cursing Aphrodite in his head, suspecting that she was behind the whole 'not telling him' thing to up the romantics. But he was willing to help me in whatever way he could.

He was just waiting for the right time.

Having spotted a hotel out of the corner of my eye, I parked the car and walked up to reception, asking for a double room. I could see that the receptionist was thinking that we were a couple of teenagers who were in 'love' and had snuck away from home to do you-know-what. To be fair to her, we did look like that, particularly since we were carrying school backpacks. I could tell that she didn't want to give us the room. However, she handed us the keys without a word. The hotel must not be doing so well: they've become desperate. I blame the location myself. Luke disagrees. He thinks that it was the food. What a male.

When she gave us the price, my jaw opened in shock. All I could think was that we were being ripped off. Harshly.

Then something weird happened. My necklace glowed for a second, and I noticed that my backpack was quite a bit heavier than it had been. Taking it off my back, I peered in, gobsmacked at what I saw.

A whole lot of money.

At least five hundred notes. Each for a thousand dollars. I was rich. I recalled a certain mythology book, where it had mentioned that money was no problem for the gods: gold drachmas were guarded by Hades, but any other currency was up for grabs.

Not even considering the implication of the fact that I was able to summon money out of thin air as if I was a god, I took out the necessary amount, whishing that the notes were slightly smaller. The face of the receptionist said it all. Telling her to keep the change we climbed the stair and located our hotel room.

And entered.

My first thought was that the hotel manager has an obsession with the colour pink. A strong and kind of scary obsession. Each of the walls of the living room were bright pink. The couch was a lighter pink and covered with heart cushions. The coffee table had coasters that had the word love printed in large red letters. The rug was red with pink hearts lining the edges. The carpet was a pale pink. The entire area reminded me of the song 'Pink Fluffy Unicorns Dancing On Rainbows'. As I walked around I made a mental note to talk to the receptionist about the decorum. It honestly felt like valentine's day in here. When I looked at Luke to see if his reaction was of disgust, which I would have been fine with, or of admiration, which would have resulted in me having a long discussion with him about his tastes in decoration, what I saw shocked me. He was blushing and avoiding looking at anything. Especially me.

And then it hit me like a ton of bricks. The receptionist had decided, out of mutual hatred no doubt (no woman would subject another to this kind of place willingly) that we should be given the honeymoon suit. I had no more doubts about what she thought we would get up to. Which just made me hate her even more.

Not even Aphrodite would enjoy the decorations in this hotel room.

The bedroom was no better. The carpet, the rug and the walls were all the same. However, instead of couches there was one king-sized bed. Shaped like a heart. Literary my nightmare come true. Especially since that meant that Luke and I had to share. Which, in the state of mind that I was in at the time, would not be the best idea. Trying and failing to comfort myself I walked into the bathroom and breathed a sigh of relief. All white. Thank Zeus (which I did do after I got around to it).

Having had the tour of the hotel room I wanted to do nothing more than flop on the bed and sleep. Thinking that I would have a shower the next day, I took out my toothbrush and cleaned my teeth (hygiene is important children) before getting into my pyjamas, When I unlocked and left the bathroom I saw that Luke had also changed, but had waited to learn about the sleeping arrangements. The fact that he was mindful of my thoughts on the matter made me like him that much more.

Luke did not bother to take his time. "Where should I sleep?"

Normally I would have gotten him to take the couch. However, the width of that piece of furniture was not large enough to accommodate a human being. Clearly another decorating hint that the room's two inhabitants should be enjoying themselves in certain ways. It took all the control that I had left not to go and verbally bash the receptionist for putting us in this position.

Luke took my facial expressions towards the receptionist as clues. "I guess I will be sleeping on the couch then. Goodnight Elena." He then proceeded to turn in the direction of the living room.

These was no way that he was sleeping there. I knew that a good night's sleep was very important in making sure that the both of us kept our wits about us the next day. So I told him to wait. When he did, I said, "The bed is big enough for the both of us. And far more comfortable." When Luke looked at me with suspicion in his eyes, I blurted out the truth that I had not even known until that point, "I need someone near when I am upset. It comforts me. Please?" A little embarrassed as to my confession, I looked up at him hopefully.

He nodded, and then turned around. We both automatically got into the side of the bed that we were closest to, since neither of us really cared. As soon as we were comfortable Luke turned off the only light that was left on, and we both fell to sleep instantly. It had been a long day.

…..

The dream that I had that night I can official can say was the worst that I had ever had. Considering what I had gone through since then, that is really saying something.

It started off as a normal ordinary day back before my life went nuts. After I ate breakfast, doing my best to ignore my step-siblings the entire time, I was driven to school by mum. I distinctly remember sighing as I believed all my troubles to be over.

However, the weather began to change, and lightning began to strike. The wind began to pick up: the sounds were first inaudible, but they soon became voices that told me again and again that I had a huge responsibility. As we continued to drive we came across two small figures in the distance. The closer we got the older the car became, as if time was passing with each mile. When we were almost there the car stopped working, forcing me to get out and walk. The figures became larger and larger each step, and I began to dread what I would see when I reached my destination. When I was in viewing distance I stopped suddenly and began to cry.

The first figure was on the ground, lying still. I could see blood pouring out of the chest. The second figure was standing over it in a menacing position with a knife in the hand. Worried for the safety of the first person I ran closer. When I reached him I did not hesitate to try to revive him. For I knew who he was. Luke. As my attempts failed over and over again, I turned around and angrily faced his attacker, prepared to lash out at whoever it was. But who it was frightened me more than anything.

It was me.

My eyes were black. My mouth was pulled into a menacing sneer. My body oozed power while I glowed the palest white. My clothing and hands were covered in blood. And I began to speak.

"You cannot control who you are." My voice was layered with hundreds of others. "Accept it."

I refused, staring at myself in horror. The jewel around my neck had lost all of the green: it was pure black. I could see myself looking into my eyes as I again spoke. "It is only a matter of time." All those voices that were speaking. I couldn't handle it.

And then I ran. I turned around and ran back to the old car, wanting to get comfort from my mum. For her to make the scene behind me go away. My last hope. I climbed into the car and turned towards the driver's seat. But she was not there. Instead there was an ancient skeleton wearing my mother's clothing and glasses. That was when I got it: she was long dead. I reached out to touch her. But my hand did not look right.

It was covered in blood. And there was a knife in my hand.

Instinctively I looked down at my clothing, seeing blood everywhere and a slight white glow. When I looked into the rear-view mirror I felt my heart sink down to the depths of the ocean. My eyes were black. My mouth was sneering. And then my mouth moved without my consent delivering my final words, "Embrace it."

I woke up screaming


	12. Chapter 11

I continued to scream. On and on and on without any thought. Honestly, I believe that acting in this fashion was completely justified after the dream that I had just endured. Can you blame me?

How could my life have become turned around so quickly? Just this morning I was a normal girl whose biggest issue was whether or not I remembered my History homework. Now I am a shaking, crying mess whose life was slowly being taken from my grasp by powers that I had absolutely no clue how to use. I was utterly clueless, and hated that with every pore of my being.

Having gotten over the initial shock, my screams subsided into quiet sobbing as I contemplated my existence.

Don't get me wrong. I never blamed my issues on the gods. It would have been so easy to do, to hate them for taking away any certainty I ever had. In fact, I was very close to cursing them while I was sobbing in the sheets. But in the back of my mind I knew that what they had given to me had been a gift, and that it should be treated like one. I mean, how many mortals out there have been blessed by ALL the Greek gods?

No. I blamed the entire thing on myself. On the fact that I was not strong enough. Or skilled enough. You could say that I was drowning in a pool of self-pity, which is incredibly ironic considering that I am the child of Poseidon. And I am woman enough to say that the waters almost claimed me that night. I was actually not far off ripping the jewel from my neck and throwing it out the window in rage.

I was so wrapped in pity that I almost didn't notice that arms had encompassed me in a compassionate manner.

As soon as he heard screaming, Luke knew that I had reached the critical moment. And he knew that his actions would determine my fate. While I was living through my nightmare, Luke had dreamed of the two possible futures that could occur.

The first was beautiful. He saw a place with hills, huts, a beach and a forest. He witnessed teenagers racing passed, all dressed in an orange shirt with the words 'Camp Half-Blood' printed on them. They were laughing and having fun, enjoying the sun that was rising over the water and the company that they held. But it was what was in the middle of the picture that dazzled him the most. There I stood, alive, with fire in my eyes and power literally emanating out of my body, surrounded by a strong white aura. I was smiling, and he knew in the instant that we locked eyes that I was in complete control. That I was happy.

The second dream was not nearly as cheerful. Luke found himself in a cave, surrounded by darkness at all angles. So thick was the blanket of darkness that he would not had been able to see save the light in front of him. There I stood, hunched over, muttering nonsense. When I turned around, the jewel around my neck was pure black and my eyes held madness. In a flurry I began to jump, run and wave in circles, and he knew that each movement was being controlled by a certain power. It was visible in the ever changing auras that surrounded me. I was gone, replaced with a body that had no leader to control anything, leaving behind a maddened mess. I had lost the internal war.

When Luke told me about these dreams I found myself horrified that in my own dream I got it so wrong. Just goes to show how active my imagination was. Sheesh.

When he was awoken by my screams, he was hesitant at first, not wanting to be bucked off. Later he told me that he feared rejection that he was so sure I would give. However, after my screams stopped and were replaced with sobs, he hugged me. Attempting to convey his feelings and hope without words. After all, some of the best conversations one can have are completely silent.

And, through all the pain and sadness, I felt him.

Instinctually craving more contact from a caring individual, I returned his hug and pulled him as close as possible. I needed to know that I would be alright. I never felt safer than in his arms, where I would feel his protective yet compassionate hold. It helped calm me down.

Luke realised that I was relaxing, and that his hug was working wonders. However, he also knew that the situation had to be solved as soon as possible for maximum effect. He was seriously afraid of what he had seen in his vision, of the girl who had lost her mind and bright future because she lacked control.

Yet he did not get it. I was a natural born leader, something he had the chance to witness when we worked on a school project together. He knew I had the potential to become of the master of the jewel, as is my destiny. So why could I not get control?

Then it hit him with the force of a fist crashing through glass. The indescribable truth that the gods had only hinted to in his dreams, knowing that he would figure it out.

And it was so simple as well. I had lost my identity.

Although he did not want to push the issue and make me feel uncomfortable, he knew that it was time for me to tell someone about what had happened to make me this way. He felt it through his Egyptian necklace.

Pulling away from my embrace, he took my face in this hands and asked, "Who did this to you?" while maintaining eye contact.

I could not help it. Those eyes that were locked onto my eyes were full of sympathy and comfort. There was something about them that had me realising that he knew what my problem was. And something about the greenness of them that had me spilling my guts as to the horrible reason I had lost my identity.

….

Back when I was in my early teens, fate had not been kind to me due to a certain step-father. Or, more specifically, his best friend. The first time I had met this man I was too naive to understand danger, and therefore did not recognise Michael as the threat that he was. He had been visiting my dad when I realised that he was sitting on my seat.

The one thing that I was always most possessive of was my chair on the dining table. It was not just any chair. It was one of the only things that my mother had saved from her short time with my real dad. Sitting on it gave me a connection with him that I had always wanted, and there were times that I felt as if we were having a true conversation in my mind. Which I knew was absurd, but allowed me to imagine how different things would be if he had stuck around. The first time that Lucas had sat on it, I cried so hard that I had to be taken to hospital. So when I saw Michael sitting on my special seat I proceeded to yell at him, calling him the worst words that I knew while pushing him, trying desperately to get him off. To which he responded by hitting me. Hard. Again and again while all that I saw were eyes full of fury and blood red hands before I lost consciousness.

Let me get something straight. He was not abusive by nature. However, at that time he had some serious unresolved anger issues caused by his hatred of his job. And that day I had happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Although he had since explained it all to me, and had apologised profusely, I never trusted him again. Whenever he as around I kept my guard up, actively changing my personality so that he would have no reason to get angry again. As time passed he would visit more and more, having quit his job and being bored. So my faked personality began to take over, and my identity was effectively locked up inside me, kept there by years' worth of fear and trauma.

…

Boy, did I feel so much better getting all that crap off my chest. As soon as I had finished telling my story to Luke, I felt something in his shift.

And then he hugged me in a manner that was both intimate and friendly. "You will never have to see him ever again. Or anyone like him. I promise."

When I looked into his eyes, I saw the honesty in him. As if feeling it too, the jewel began to glow bright green, encasing the both of us in light. For a couple of minutes, I saw nothing but white, until a figure emerged. No face was visible as it blended into the background, but the outline of the arms and legs could be seen if I looked hard enough. And then it spoke with a voice that contained many layers, as if many people were talking at once. Three sentences that unlocked the personality inside me and filled me with its power and truth. In that moment I knew exactly how to control the jewel, how to control all the different powers at once. For it had taught me everything.

"έλεγχό τους δεν είναι η απάντηση. Ελευθέρωσέ τα. Ελευθέρωσε τον εαυτό σου."

Controlling them is not the answer. Set them free.

Set yourself free.


	13. Chapter 12

Although I had control over my own body back, thank goodness, I spent the next week attempting to learn how to use my powers. Which was rather difficult.

While Luke drove (I managed to teach him in about one hour), I would sit in the back seat of the car and attempt to change the colour of my aura, which I learned showed which power was being used. Needless to say that I spent quite a bit of time of time staring into a mirror. Damn you Aphrodite!

My relationship with Luke was still at the friendship level. Although we were both aware of our feelings towards each other, me through my amazing power over love and him through the necklace, we had mutually agreed that night in the hotel that for the moment it was better to be friends. We had enough problems as it was.

Unfortunately, after the fiasco with the rooms and looking like a couple we spent the last few nights sleeping in the car. It wasn't too bad, but it got uncomfortable rather quickly. Luke, bless him, always insisted that I sleep in the back seats. However, I managed to persuade him otherwise on two occasions, and I know that on the inside he is thankful.

No other monsters have been sighted after the fight with the hydra. We can only hope that the fates have decided to favour us, although I knew deep down that it will not last. My scent in particular is rather strong.

However, the reality of our life had begun to set in, and we would often sit in the car in utter silence as we thought about home. Although I am happy that my life has been given a purpose, I cannot help but wonder how my mum is taking it all, raising my step-siblings on her own. I can see her in my dreams, staring out the window with a tear rolling down her cheek. Always only one.

So, there we were, sitting in the car in utter silence with solemn expressions on our face. Looking over at Luke, I could see that he was perhaps not taking the whole 'child-of-a-god' thing as well as I was. Make no mistake, he was completely and utterly up to the task. However, lately he was drawing himself in, talking to me less and less. He hardly ever smiled anymore.

In truth it was rather worrying me. I now know from experience that keeping everything to yourself was a recipe for disaster. No matter what you tell yourself, it does not get better if you just ignore it. While I was in primary school, I had a friend named Sophie. She was brilliant, smart and charming. However, she would never tell us about her parents or where she lived. She became more and more secluded, missing parties and sitting by herself. Eventually she got help and left the school, but I was always left with the guilt of knowing that I could have helped but chose not to.

I knew I needed to talk to Luke. Preferably sooner than later.

As we drove through the next town, I parked the car next to an Italian restaurant. Why you may ask. Three reasons: I was starving and the car food wasn't going to cut it; I believed that Luke would be more open in an area that wasn't this car; and I really needed to pee. Like super bad. With this in mind I managed to convince Luke to join me for lunch. It didn't take much, he was as sick of the car as I was by this stage.

It was a small little place. With only a few tables, I knew that it wasn't too popular. Perfect.

Taking the table in the back corner, we both ordered our preferred soft drink: Sprite for me and Coke for him. The waiter eyed us warily, and I realised that sitting in the corner may signal certain romantics that we plan to accomplish. Or at least a date. I allowed my Hermes side to show, and smirked mischievously at him. He moved rather quickly, and I wasn't sure if it was to get a camera or if he found us intimidating. Interesting, the affect I have on people.

And speaking of people…

Turning towards Luke, I decided that there was a time to be subtle and a time to be bold. I got straight to the point. "Okay, spill. What's wrong?"

Looking rather taken-aback at the question, I could see that he was mentally debating the pros and cons of telling the truth. I was having none of it. "Tell me the truth."

Realising that I could tell if he was lying (something I learned two days ago when he told me 'liked sushi' when he didn't) he decided to tell the truth. After sighing, he replied, "Its just… my mum has never coped with being alone very well. I can't help but think of the loneliness that she must be feelings, and the hatred." The last words he said with a sneer, and I knew that he believed that.

"No she doesn't. She may not understand why, but she does not hate you. I refuse to believe that any woman capable of raising a child as selfless as you would ever think of you that way." Each word that came out of my mouth rang true. What I said had to be heard. "I understand that this is hard for you to accept Luke. That your father is Apollo, that you are a danger to her. There have been times when all I have wanted to do was drive back and never let my mother go. But then I realise that it is not possible." Luke was looking at me in the eyes for the first time in days as I continue. "We are monster beacons. Staying with them would only put our loved ones in danger. The only way to guarantee their safety is to become safe ourselves: to reach my brother and live with the other demigods. Train and learn how to survive in this world. Besides, we are old enough to be let go. It was going to happen eventually, we would move on and live our own lives. No child stays with their parents forever. We just happened to have a reason to go. You need to trust her to make the right decisions, to look after herself." With my piece said, I relaxed and began to eat my pasta, which the waiter had brought while I was speaking.

I knew Luke needed some time for the truth to sink in.

Besides, the pasta was amazing.

After a few minutes of eating, where Luke had not moved a muscle, I sighed and made a decision that would bite me in the butt after. "If you are so worried, call her. Make sure."

As soon as I was done speaking Luke was up, asking the waiter for the nearest phone.

Chuckling at his eagerness, I waved to the waiter (who was looking more and more uncomfortable: probably worried we were fighting) and then kept eating. When I was done I ordered dessert. I was still super staving. And then I asked for Luke's pasta to be packaged. Honestly, his phone call was really long, and I began to worry that he was kidnapped. After paying, I managed to find him just outside the restaurant, talking fast in Greek while crying.

They always say all men are tough. Tough my arse.

While he was talking I decided to get the car. Which wasn't there.

It was stolen.

When we had left, I was so relieved to finally eat proper food that I had forgotten to take the keys. And our supplies. Some luckily bloke must have passed, thought 'score!' and driven away as fast as possible. Bastard.

After looking everywhere in the carpark, just to make sure, I proceeded to curse to every deity imaginable as our so called 'luck' ran out.

As soon as Luke got off the phone he joined me. We really looked like a bunch of idiots, standing there cursing. In fact, I was so occupied I didn't even notice that we were in immediate danger.

Until I did.

It was a Empousa. To most she would seem normal, perhaps even beautiful. But my abilities allowed me to see right through her disguise and view the miss-matched legs, and her teeth. Gross. When she saw me, she smiled in the most vicious of ways. Ready for blood

I was about to attack, I swear. I would have cut her like a knife slices through butter. Quick and efficient. However, she was soon flanked by four more.

I didn't even think. I grabbed Luke's hand and ran away. As fast as I could.

For I knew that I could not allow Luke to be anywhere near them. They possess the power of charmspeak, and are able to force men to do their bidding. That's how they eat them. When my mother read that story to me, I had told her that I wanted to be one. Now I most certainly didn't, I was very happy being myself thank you very much!

Luke, who was very confused, asked "Why on earth are we running?"

Knowing his mythology was lacking, only one response came to mind. "Vampire."

That got him running.

While we fled I could not help but think that we were goners. For they were gaining fast. We weren't going to make it.

And all I was thinking was 'Tell my mother I love her'.


	14. Chapter 13

Have you ever run a marathon? Did you keep on moving until it felt as of your limbs were as heavy as lead and your head was spinning around in circles, and then continue still?

If you have had the unfortunate opportunity to experience this, then I can sympathise. Even with extra stamina thanks to the blessing from the goddess of the hunt, Artemis, I still felt the effects of running long distances. Something that I hate.

We ended up running for around half an hour. Now and again we would attempt to sneak down a back alley, or escape in a rush of traffic, but the five Empousa had good eyesight, and surprisingly good stamina for creatures who had mismatched legs. Which is super unfortunate, really. I could almost sympathise: if one of my legs was metal and the other donkey, I would go on an angry murder spree as well. Probably.

After running for half an hour we were both on the verge of collapse. In fact, had Luke of not been able to hear my encouraging thoughts through the necklace, he most likely would have collapsed earlier. It was almost a miracle that we both were still on our feet.

That was when I had a brainwave.

Zeus was the god of the sky. He had control over the wind, weather and atmosphere. So I should be able to control all these things as well. Theoretically.

To hide ourselves and mess with the monster's line of sight, I willed our immediate surroundings to be covered in a large blanket of fog. Perhaps not my best idea ever, as it almost caused Luke to be run over by a passing bicycle due to lack of vision. I had just managed to summon some grape vines out of the ground to hold him back and keep him out of trouble (something that I Iearned I could do the moment I did it), while I focused my attention on my prey. Who were running around in circles, their metal legs clanging each time they took a step. Their confusion was obvious, as was their anger at us for outsmarting them.

To deliver the final blow, I summoned thunder clouds, and began to strike them with lightning. At first I missed. However, the light generated by the lightening allowed me to see my targets and attack without remorse. As I acted, I could feel my jewel burn brightly and my aura turn the colour of the sky on a clear day.

For the first time, I had been able to control my powers. The dream I had in the hotel room payed off. Yay!

This was the moment when I realised that my powers were not something to scorn. Yes, I had accepted then before. However, I had never appreciated them until now, when they were absolutely necessary to our survival. I shudder when I think of what could have happened, if I was less equipped. Of what the Empousa would have done to the two of us.

I had finally truly accepted my destiny.

Remembering Luke, I released him from the vines and allowed the mist to dissipate. At first he looked concerned, checking around every corner for the Empousai. However, after consideration, Luke turned to me with a face that reminded me of my step-fathers every time that I attempted to do something remotely mature. Mock scolding. "What did you do?"

I decided to answer him in an understated manner. "All I did was summon mist and blast the vampires with lightning. It was nothing." It was incredibly difficult for me to keep a straight face as the situation was just so damn hilarious. But I managed. Mostly.

Luke smiled at my antics.

That was enough for me to burst out laughing. He was quick to follow, leaving us in a laughing heap for a good five minutes. By this point we had both forgotten what we had found so damn amusing about the whole situation. However, it was good to laugh. For the first time in a week I had seen Luke truly happy. And it gave me the warmest feeling, to see him like that.

For the first time in what felt like a lifetime Luke felt content. Over the past few days he had been struggling not to just turn back and check on his mother. He had been torn between two kinds of emotions: the love for his mother, and the feelings that he harboured for me. In these five minutes he was able to let loose and not think, trusting his instincts rather than his overused and tired brain. Later he would chuckle, remembering the insecurities that he harboured. But, at this moment, he was happy.

Seeing him so happy caused me to do something that I know I would not have done under any other circumstance. Impulsively, I pulled him towards me and kissed him.

The feelings were like none I had ever experienced before that moment. His lips were as soft as silk, slowly moving against mine as he relaxed and allowed desire to take hold. I began to reciprocate, taking my cues from the more experienced man in front of me and from the blessing that came from the goddess of love herself. My arms, of their own accord, draped around his neck while Luke's arms travelled around my waist. It went on for what seemed like forever, with the rain falling around us. (I have the strangest feeling that that was my fault, for there were previously no rain clouds in sight.)

It was, all in all, one hell of a first kiss.

We eventually had to pull away to catch our breath. Looking into Luke's eyes, I knew that he cared for me as much as I cared for him. For we were both beyond the blindness of what we felt. Sorry folks, no heartbreak, no denial in this story. If that is what you are after, I am sure that other less interesting biographies exist. Not that I have read any, I am no romantic.

Luke tells me that that is a complete lie. Oh well…

Smiling, I told Luke, "Well. That happened." Not wanting him to feel that I had not liked it, I quickly continued. "I enjoyed it immensely." Seeing the smirk on his face I knew perfectly well that he knew exactly what my thought process was. Damn necklace!

In order to find a mode of transportation, I scanned the surroundings.

And found exactly what I was looking for.

"Bingo," I muttered under my breath while practically dragging Luke towards what I had spotted.

When he realised what I was referring to he sighed and stated, "Oh boy…"

The vehicle I had chosen was a bus. Not some random public bus but one of those that you travel on for school trips and such. It was not necessarily large, but it contained a bathroom. And that was all that I cared about. Smiling at Luke's condescending look, I practically sang, "All aboard!" while using my impressive machine skills to get the door open and start the vehicle. My good mood was obvious.

Luke followed quickly, settling into the seat behind me and relaxing as I drove the vehicle out of the carpark where it was originally stationed and onto the road. After all, it had been an enormously long day. We were both eager to leave this town. All I wanted for Luke was for him to accept his new life, and enjoy it to the best of his ability.

I knew it was easier said than done. As I had told him in the restaurant, I often had the urge to turn around and flee from my destiny. However, I knew that that would only make things worse. And while I didn't want to burden him, I knew that he would be much happier when he accepted it as well. It would make both of our lives happier.

As I watched him fall asleep through the rear-view-mirror-thing that bus drivers always have, I knew that we had reached a point where we finally understood each other. Where we could finally call the other an equal rather than a powerful demigod and her protector.

Little did I know that things would never be the same again between us. It was the start of something entirely unexpected. Something that I will always cherish.

Love.


	15. Chapter 14

I don't know if I have said this before, but being a demigod can really suck. Big time. Yes, I am aware that my powers do not exactly allow me to qualify, being more powerful than a god and such. But that just makes me more of a monster magnet.

There I was, driving down the freeway with Luke snoozing in the background when the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. Since we were in no danger, I realised that his father had given me some sweet prophecy powers, which I decided was useful rather than a pain in the butt to know that my evening would not end in the two of us cuddling in the back of the bus. Oh well, there is always tomorrow. And the next day. And the next day…

By the way, when I said us, I meant me and Luke. No Apollo involved. So get your heads out of the gutter. No demigod on god action here.

Luke naturally chose this moment to wake up.

I decided to break the ice. "Finally awake I see, sleepyhead," I teased.

He smiled at me, and then proceeded to stretch. Man, those muscles moving under his top made him look really hot. I ogled for a few seconds before realising that I should probable focus on the road instead so that we don't, you know, crash.

After finishing his morning routine, he proceeded to ask, "Have any food? I am starving after that marathon yesterday." I could tell that he was feeling awkward, no doubt due to not talking things through concerning our relationship.

I replied, "In the back," before leaving him to inhale his breakfast. For a child of the sun, that boy sure could eat!

Since we had lost the majority of our supplies when our car was stolen, I had managed to get some grocery shopping done while he was asleep, raising a zombie from the dead to keep an eye on him (something that I have yet to tell him I did).

Unfortunately, this allowed me time for reflection regarding my glimpse into the future. Even with all the power I possessed, I was still worried for our safety. After all, neither of us had completely learned how to use our divine powers. Luke had yet to even show me he had any, other than the ability to do archery. It is not that I blame him for this. After all, I originally believed my own powers were a curse. Yet I had a feeling that at some point on this journey to find my mysterious brother his powers will become necessary to save both of our lives.

Oh well, there was no use in trying to predict the future. I have read enough stories to know that it never works out for the seer.

After Luke finished eating, he climbed back into his seat and stared out of the window with a contemplating look on his face. At first I worried if he regretted our kiss. However, my Athena blessing became apparent when I realised that he was staring specifically at the people. And no, I did not crash the bus while figuring this out, as I have the ability to sense any movement in the vicinity courtesy of Artemis.

This was more than homesickness or a desire to be normal. I could feel the regret and shame rolling of him in waves. He felt useless. I couldn't blame him, since I had been the one to save us from the Empousai.

To console him, I confessed, "I would not have wished for anyone else in the world to be my protector. You are strong and possess a good heart." I decided that the rest of this conversation would be better if I could look at him. I proceeded to pull into the emergency lane and stop the bus, before facing him and continuing. "I have had a crush on you for a while now, to be honest. Even back at school. I liked the fact that you knew how to make me laugh, but also understood that there were moments where one needs to be serious. That attraction has slowly escalated. And now that I know you, I have learned that I care about you a lot. You will save me one day, and we will fulfil our destinies together." To seal the deal and make it clear to him that I was telling the truth, I walked over to his seat, slid onto his lap and kissed him.

He kissed back immediately.

At first it was calm and gentle. However, we had both waited so long for this, which showed in the intensity. After what felt like seconds Luke ran his tongue over my bottom lip, asking silently for entrance. This I granted, and I was rewarded by the feeling of Luke running his tongue over every crevice he could find. I could honestly not describe anything more magical. Time just seemed to stop and all of our fears melted away, replaced by a feeling of safety that can only come by being in the arms of the one you truly care about.

We made out for what seemed like eternity, only stopping when we ran out of breath. We were not embarrassed, as we were fortunate enough to know that the feelings that ran between us were mutual. So, instead of doing the teenage thing and blushing harder than the red that was integrated in the pattern of the floor of the bus, we smiled at each other, the joy we were feeling radiating through it.

It was then that I noticed the police coming down the freeway, and then proceeded to run back into the driver's seat and pull out of the emergency lane before we were pulled over and arrested for driving without a licence. I did not want us to become a pair of outlaws.

For the rest of the drive there was a definite sexual tension in the air between us. I knew that it was taking Luke all of his control not to kiss me again. Sensing this made me think of what would happen when we stopped. Which led me to thinking about the prophecy I received earlier. Dammit! To avoid thinking I took the first exit available and managed to find a parking space big enough to fit the bus. Since we had no more money left there was no way that we could get a hotel room, and I had annoying forgotten my money gaining powers at that point. I had had only just enough cash for groceries earlier. Also, being in a vehicle meant that when the imminent attack came we would be able to make a quick getaway if necessary.

As soon as I stopped I walked to the back seat of the bus, which was also the largest. Luke followed me, and we lay down cuddling. Since the day had been so long, I managed to fall asleep almost immediately, comfortable in the arms of the man that I was falling for.

I have not yet mentioned the demigod dreams. Yep, each night we get flash-backs, meetings for gods or threats from enemies. Up until this point my dreams had consisted of meetings with my godly parents, which they ask that I call them since they basically claimed me as one of their children. I went along with it. Surprisingly, after I accepted my powers and destiny, I began to grow fond of them. Over the past week I had been able to meet all of the Olympians, who I am proud to say matched my original classifications of them. Each meeting had been enjoyable in its own way. However, that night I had my first real demigod dream.

In a series of flashes, I saw the life of a boy with green eyes and black hair. Although I never got to learn who he was, I witnessed his meeting with a fury, his battle with a minotaur, his time in a place known as the lotus casino, his transformation into a guinea pig, his attempt at saving two Italian children, his meeting with a disguised Apollo in front of a fire, his battle with one of Hephaestus' inventions, his sacrifice of a lion pellet into the water, his time in a dark labyrinth, his stay at a beautiful island, his attack on a cruise ship, his experience in the underworld and the river Styx, his battle on mount Olympus with a titan, and his interactions with a girl who had blond hair and grey eyes. I had no idea why I was being shown the life of a stranger, but I got the distinct impression that he would play a significant role in my destiny.

Unfortunately, I was not able to learn anything more about this boy as I was dragged out of dreams and into the real world.

What awaited me was an empty bus. As I wondered why I awoke, since it was still dark, I realised that I could a noise in the distance. When I was able to identify it, I froze.

Luke was crying for help.


	16. Chapter 15

You, as the reader, should know that stories do not go the way they always seem. So those of you out there who are all like "Girl power, yea, she will totally save the man" should be forewarned that nothing like that happened. It was almost embarrassing how not like that it was.

After hearing Luke cry for help I did the reckless thing and ran after the voice as quickly as possible, not thinking that it could possibly be something that I could not handle. You would think that I would know enough about Greek myths to know better, but I was too worried about Luke to care that my senses were off about the whole ordeal and that I had yet to hear Luke plea for help no matter the situation.

Basically, I was an idiot.

The moment I realised I was mistaken was when I ran into the creatures waiting for me. Having had left the bus without even thinking about how I would get back in, I followed the road until I came across a bonfire in the middle of the round-a-bout. I immediately freaked that Luke was burning inside it, which I reflect on as nothing more than a stupid impulse. Without even wondering how it got there in the first place, I literally ran into the flames (flame retardant, thanks to my awesome dad Hephaestus – I mention that parent way too often without crediting the others at all. Boy will they be mad if they find out…). When I finally began to use my brain and looked up, instead of beholding the crispy remainders of my boyfriend I instead gaped at the supremely ugly faces of two monsters with only one eye.

Cyclops.

So, being the idiot that you all by now know I thought not of using my powers or hiding in the flames like any smart person would do. No. I leapt straight for one of their hands, hoping that my weapon ring would turn into some awesome mega-thingy that would kill them instantly.

It turns out, if you don't have a specific weapon in mind, the ring does not work. That figures.

The cyclops managed to grab me in its fist and squeeze the breath out of me. My one weakness, apparently. Being squished to death by massive one-eyed-potato-sacks.

Needless to say that I was useless from this point on. Which makes it…. Da-da-da-da! Time for Luke's tale. And to make sure that I write it correctly, without undermining his brilliance and awesomeness as he obviously does not trust me to do him justice (would I do that Luke. Really? Well you didn't have to say yes with quite that amount of certainty) he is recounting the events to me as I write it all down.

Apparently, while I was having my freak-out-about-Luke session in the bus, he had gone to the toilet. No joke. And he had a pair of headphones in. Yep, apparently he managed to find an Ipod in the driver's compartment and proceeded to take the opportunity to be a normal teenager.

So, he does his business, leaves the stall and immediately notices that I am no longer on the bus. At first he keeps calm, knowing that I am a super powerful god-like creature that is perfectly capable of keeping care of herself. Oh the irony. However, as soon as he took his earphones out he just managed to make out what seemed to be a very Elena-like scream of defiance (in my defence, when you jump a cyclops making noise is what came naturally… I didn't say it was smart). This caused his to become curious, so, being the wise man that he is (your welcome) he locked the bus door, as he had no desire to be robbed again, and ran with caution towards the light in the distance.

When he was close enough to distinguish the bonfire and the uglies surrounding it, he inhaled sharply. What he had first believed to be a stick turned out to be your truly. Why would he think it was a stick, you may ask? Because they were throwing it to each other as one would with a dog. I mean throwing a stick to a dog, not throwing a dog. That would not work, as teeth would be involved and some serious howling, not to mention how heavy those things can be. Anyway, Luke is complaining that I am getting off topic, so I will continue the tale of 'Luke and the Stick-Girl'. Whatever, I think the title's catchy, so you'll have to live with it my dear.

It must be said that the odds were certainly not in Luke's favour. He was facing two mega- huge cyclops that not only outshone him in stature, but also in strength. So he could not fight in that way without becoming demigod pancake. Credit where credit is due, this is the point where I can safely say that I rubbed off on the boy (you know it's true Luke), as he proved his genius with a plan worthy of Athena herself.

Since the jewel was a part of me, and could not be taken off my person, that was out. So was the weapon ring and shield bracelet. After all, it is difficult to get jewellery off a person who was still being tossed between the two monsters. None of the magical arrows that Luke had in his quiver (to this day I have never seen him without it, except when sleeping. I mean, imagine the fact that you would be able to roll over in case an arrow accidentally impaled your back while you're in the land of dreams. Not exactly the 'heroes' death, is it?) would be able to do enough damage to the cyclops, especially since he had no idea at this point that he could summon all kinds of arrows out of the quiver (this we would figure out when he attempted to show off his skills and shot an arrow at the drawing he had made at the side of a building, only for it to blow up. Still not sure what he was thinking when he grabbed that arrow, and frankly I am not sure I want to know). He had no hand to hand combat skills, technical skills or weather skills to create a diversion. That left only one weapon available to him.

The bracelet on his left wrist.

Remember when I mentioned the gift from Apollo that Luke got way back at the school that would transform into any instrument? Over the last week, whenever we needed to forget about the perils of our journey, or in my case, my previous lack of control, he would play me a song. It allowed us to unwind, and occasionally lulled me to sleep. We had always just assumed that I was extremely tired, that his music did not have the power to comply with his demands of wanting me to rest. However, as Luke stares at the bracelet he begins to understand that the music that he makes has a certain magic to it, which may just be the key to set me free.

Let me just say that his music did not just suddenly become magical. From as early as the age of seven he was able to use song to fix his problems. After his mother was jet again unable to pay the rent for their house, she spent the evening in a depressed and exhausted state. Knowing that his mother was suffering, Luke decided to sing her the song 'Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head' as an attempt to cheer her up. The song worked wonders: she became full of energy, and went to work the next morning with a positive attitude. That week, he would sing to her every night, and she would work harder than ever before he next day, which ended up with her gaining a pay rise and being able to afford the rent. Every time he tells me that story I am grateful that there is good in the world in the midst of the monsters and receptionists (will never forget the valentine's suite).

Anyway, back to the story.

Crouching behind a large tree right next to the round-a-bout, Luke summons the instrument that he believed fit the mood of his chosen song the best: the double bass. Bet you didn't see that one coming. Then he begins what can only be described as the slowest rendition of 'Rock a bye, baby', praying that it would work while making sure to exaggerate each note and sing with clarity.

It took the cyclopes two whole minutes to understand that music was playing, as they were too busy throwing me around to pay attention to anything else. Luckily for Luke, by that point the magic was taking effect and the monsters began to become droopy, with each of their eyelids shutting slowly and their bodies slouching. At first Luke was ecstatic that it worked. However, as the cyclopes began to fall asleep they were no longer around to catch me. I feel down, looking like a graceful angel, while their bodies fell backwards with a thud and their mouths hung open as they snored.

It was into one of the mouths that I fell straight into, disappearing from Luke's view.


	17. Chapter 16

I have absolutely no idea what you expect to happen to me. Perhaps those with strong imaginations may see me being swallowed, surrounded by their previous dinner, before passing out the other end due to a mix of bravery from me and natural actions from the cyclops, if you know what I mean. To those people, I say that you really need to stop taking biology, it is doing you no favours. Others may see me as the hero, using my power over wind or something-rather to save myself from a terrible fate. While I appreciate the way you envision me, that unfortunately did not happen either.

I have said it before. Life of a demi-god is no piece of cake. However, it just so happens that I was lucky this time.

For once in his life Luke used his quick thinking skills (what? I mean, have you seen your godly father when he tries to make poetry!? It takes him ages! I know you know…) by turning his bracelet from a double bass into the flattest instrument he could think of: a harp. Then, without even taking the time to consider if the harp was sharp enough to dent a fricking cyclops, he hurls the instrument at the offending creature.

What followed was about as disgusting as you might envision.

Rather than impale the monster and turn it to dust as normal, an action that is something I would rather not think about, as it is unclear whether I would have disappeared with it, it clangs against the stomach instead. Got to hand it to my protector and his strong throwing arm, as it would have taken some serious strength to actually toss an instrument that heavy at that great a distance and hit the target. What followed the clanging was perhaps the grossest account of regurgitation ever.

Yep, I was spewed out.

Out of the mouth of the cyclops came half a horse, tons of yellow-green goo and one drenched jewel of the gods. All in all, it was not a pretty sight to behold, and I won't even go into the details of my visit into the gut. Best to not give you all nightmares. Needless to say that I was humiliated that I had fallen for such a classic trick in the first place. The fact that my clothing smelt strongly of puke was not helping matters in the slightest.

At least I was saved by my knight in shining armour. The happiness at seeing me alive and breathing was clear in his face as he helped me stand up. For the first time since we were claimed there was not ounce of self-deprivation or remorse on his face, just pure elation that he had been able to successfully fulfil his role as protector.

Not caring a whit about the ooze I was covered in, I kissed him, as any good damsel in distress does. The magic of kissing him had only intensifies since yesterday, and once again I was drawn in by the delicious taste of Luke's mouth, leaving any though in the dust as our lips parted and tongues explored.

It wasn't until we ran out of breath that we parted, mutually satisfied with our growing relationship and aware that snogging was not the best idea considering the fact that we were still surrounded by sleeping cyclopes. Luke certainly grew aware of this fact, breathlessly informing me that we should kill them and spare the next poor soul to fall for their tricks. To which I glared at him playfully, before willing my weapon ring into a spear and helping him to slay the monsters that had attempted to kill me.

After the fire had been put out and the creatures had been reduced to dust the adrenaline slowly dulled away to be replaced by a growing awareness of just how much I reeked. As I scrunched up my nose in disgust Luke rubs the back of his neck sheepishly, undoubtedly remembering that my dignified fall into the mouth of a cyclops was his doing.

One of the things that I truly remember vividly of this trip I took with Luke was how proud I was of him for saving my sorry arse. After all, if I hadn't panicked and ran out of the bus the prophecy I had felt earlier that day would never have come to light. But as my godly mother's wisdom reminded me, everybody makes mistakes. Even the Jewel of Olympus. And so rather than fall into the pit of despair that was my failures, I instead focused on the beautiful man standing in front of me.

Holding his hand, I whispered praises in his ear. "You saved me. Nobody else gets that distinction but you. I am proud to call you my protector, the one that I care about, the only one I want to console me after my nightmares or sing to me at night. I am so glad you are here. I couldn't do any of this without you." As I spoke I looked him straight in the eye, making sure that he had no doubts concerning the sincerity of my words. And when he took me into his arms and held me tight against him I knew he believed me.

After the emotional mush was over, I boldly declared that I was going to invade the nearest house and take a long-needed shower because damn if I was getting on that bus less than my gorgeous self. Practically dragging a laughing Luke along with me I braved the front door with all my Hephaestus knowhow and made a beeline straight for the bathroom.

Okay, before you all start wolf whistling I must inform your sex-crazed minds that no, the two of us did not share a shower (NO Luke, I am not telling them about that… because its none of their business, that's why). We each took turns standing guard outside the door while the other cleansed themselves, because I was desperate enough to break into a house without checking if it was empty or not (I am sure that if you smelt as bad as I did you would not hesitate either).

I did of course have enough sense to summon money to leave as a 'sorry we had a shower in your house' apology. If the owners of that house are reading this, then I cannot stress how sorry we truly are. Feel free to contact us: we'll know you are the true owners when you correctly name the stolen product we took (what can I say, being the daughter of Aphrodite means that when I see I take).

Finally reaching the bus with our eyelids drooping heavily and our feet dragging behind us, we barely made it to the back seat before we were well and truly out of it. After such a long day of driving, making out and dealing with monsters we deserved a goodnights sleep, curled up in each other's arms and eternally grateful to be alive.

Thank goodness that the gods for once agreed.

…..

Back on the road, I once again mentally thanked the bus for being awesome and easily stealable. After all, the presence of a toilet was a luxury I appreciated having after waking up and needing to pee so bad this morning. Also, being able to actually sleep horizontally on a long bench far proceeded the uncomfortable seat of the car we were in before. Never mind the fact that it was huge enough to make me feel invincible, looking down at all the poor souls stuck in their tiny tin cans they call cars as I bowl past in the clunk of metal.

Unfortunately I could not appreciate the automobile in its entirely due to an uncomfortable feeling in my stomach. Ever since I felt the prediction the day before, I had become aware that a similar prophecy may hit me at any point. What I was feeling at that exact moment was too reminiscent of earlier to be a coincident. I could feel that something infinitely worse than anything we had yet faced was coming. And that it would test our strength and will to the max.

Little did I know how important that prophecy would be to our quest and our future. Little did I know that I was close to finding the camp, that I would clasp eyes on my brother for the first time.

As well as attempting to make sense of what my stomach was trying to tell me, I was also intently focused on Luke. God that boy was distracting, with his lip nibbling habits and slow head bang in time to whatever song he was listening to on the iPod. Such seduction should be illegal for someone to so flawlessly pull off. I knew I wasn't innocent in the exchange: every time I felt his eyes on me I would either make some sort of sensual noise or lazily play with my hair. Basically, we were both riling each other up.

Considering how distracted I was, it is no surprise that my hands on the steering wheel moved on their own accord. It was only when I saw through the corner of my eyes a large obstructive object that I realised I should have been paying more attention to the road.

The crash was imminent. And the fire that followed was even more so.

So much for the bus.


End file.
